A CALYPSO OF
CLASHING DREAMS

A richly acted Caribbean family
drama flourishes despite a
few overgrown passages

Melanie Matthews in Blooming in Dry Season at WP Theater

There’s much that can happen within the confines of a thirty-year marriage.

Struggles, triumphs and everything in between that a man and woman can weather, based on their vows before God and their love for each other. It’s familiar territory. Yet this oft-told story gets a Caribbean re-working in Eljon Wardally’s new play, Blooming in Dry Season. Currently onstage at the WP Theater in Manhattan, this engaging if slightly over-written script lays a calypso beat under fully fleshed, island characters who are rarely seen on mainstream stages. Keenly directed by Jackie Alexander, the piece is beautifully acted by a powerhouse cast, in particular Melanie Matthews as Rose. A co-production between Woodie King Jr.’s New Federal Theatre and the North Carolina Black Repertory Company, the show offers a deep dive into a loving family that meets hard times with hope, and good times with joy. Like a shot of strong rum, Wardally’s theatrical visit to this island paradise can be warm and comforting. But beware—it packs a punch.

Melanie Matthews, Brian Richardson

Set in a rum shop on tropical Grenada, family man Fitz worries about dwindling customers to the family business. His upbeat yet no-nonsense wife Rose seems surprised as, from her perspective, she does most of the work and everything will be fine. But dreamer Fitz, a former steelpan musician who seemed headed for the Big Time in his youth but didn’t quite make it, pushes for shop improvements they can’t really afford. Not a problem because Rose, lovingly and sometimes comically, shoots them down. Still, theirs is a playful, direct and appealing give-and-take.

Melanie Matthews, Nikyla Boxley

While the shop is important, their main interest is the well-being of their smart, beautiful and determined sixteen-year-old daughter Garland, named for her father’s former band. Like her father, Garland is also a very talented steelpan player, who leads the calypso group at her high school. No longer a little girl yet not quite a woman, Garland’s increasing independence and questioning nature creates friction between her and Fitz. He does not approve of his daughter’s dream to follow in his musical footsteps, even when she gets a legit offer to leave school and tour with an up-and-coming band. Is it just because he doesn’t want her to be hurt by the instability and dangers of a music career? Or is there something deeper going on with Fitz? Are any of his perceptions trustworthy?

Does he really see who his daughter is? Or, for that matter, even after thirty-plus years together, does he truly see Rose?

Brian Richardson

Wardally is a dense, authentic and multi-layered writer with a great sense of the humanity of her characters. In situations that could veer into soap opera or sentimentality, Wardally skillfully keeps her trio sounding like real people. Yet she also understands the theatricality inherent in writing for the stage, and creates some truly outstanding monologues for all. And that is the challenge. The overall focus of the play can get muddled. Whose story is she telling? The attempt now seems to be all three. Kudos to Alexander’s direction for giving characters the attention the script demands. Yet with some trimming and focusing, what is currently a very good script could possibly be great.

Nikyla Boxley

As the boisterous (and low-key chauvinistic) Fitz, Brian Richardson shines. Equal parts charming and powerful, he is heart-breaking as situations cause his hard-won confidence to wane and self-doubt to take over. Nikyla Boxley hits all the right notes as Garland, embodying all the enthusiasm and unquestioned confidence of a sixteen-year-old, yet showing a surprising vulnerability when things really are beyond her understanding.

Melanie Matthews, Brian Richardson

But the heart of the show is Matthews as Rose. This is a multi-faceted performance that traverses from light-hearted family manager to deeply hurt and resentful woman—yet still lands on love in the end. Matthews is a memorable and touching Rose, full of the contradictions that come with living life on this earth. The detailed and multi-colored rum shop set by Isabela and Moriah Curley-Clay is so impressive it could be another character in the show, down to the family Polaroids on the shelves. Costume design by Gregory J. Horton is specific and evocative, defining each character’s journey.

Even in the islands, life can be tough. There can be secrets and challenges that push one to the brink. But strong family love can surmount anything, eventually. Because as Rose, Fitz and Garland learn, some of the most beautiful flowers bloom in dry season. And so can people.

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photos by Hollis King

Blooming in Dry Season
Woodie King Jr.’s New Federal Theatre & NC Black Rep
WP Theater, 2162 Broadway at 76th Street, Upper West Side
Tue, Thu–Sat at 7; Wed & Sun at 3; Sat at 2 & 7
1 hour 45 minutes with intermission
ends on June 28, 2026
for tickets ($30–$49), visit New Federal Theatre

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